Car Maintenance: Make Your Tires Last

Maintain proper tire pressure

One of the most critical maintenance chores for cars is checking the tires regularly. You'll save money and extend the life of your tires.

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine
:September 2009

Step-by-Step

Make your tires last

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Check tire pressure every month

All tires lose air, so check your tires monthly.
Always use the same tire pressure gauge and check the
air pressure first thing in the morning, not after you've
driven on them or they've been sitting in the hot sun. Inflate
to the pressures listed on the carmaker's decal (on the driver's
door or jamb), NOT the maximum pressure listed on the tire. The
recommended tire pressure is based on the weight of your particular
vehicle, not the tire brand or tread style.

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Digital pressure gauge

Digital gauges are easier to read and more accurate than traditional gauges.

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Use a tread-depth gauge every other month

Forget about the penny-in-the-tread
trick. A tread depth gauge
only costs a few dollars and is far more
accurate. Measure the tread
depth about 1 in. from each
edge and the depth of the center
tread. They should all be the
same. If they're not, refer to the
section on Diagnosing Tire Problems below to find the
problem and the fix.

The front tires on front-wheel-drive
cars carry a heavier load and perform
more work (steering and braking). So
they wear faster than the rears.
Rotating tires every 6,000 miles spreads the wear across all
four tires. Skip it and you'll find
yourself with two bald tires in the
front and two halfway good tires in
the rear. You'll lose about 25 percent
of the tire set's life.

Most drivers ignore their tires until it's too late. Then they have to spend big
bucks to replace them. However, you can diagnose tire problems and correct them early by performing three critical maintenance chores: checking the tire pressure, measuring the tread depth regularly, and rotating tires every 6,000 miles.

Video: How to Check Tire Pressure with a Digital Tire Gauge

Watch and learn the correct way to check tire pressure with a digital gauge. You'll find out how often you should be checking your car tire pressure and when is the best time to check it. Digital gauges are inexpensive and easy to use. Once you learn how to check you car tire pressure, keep the tires properly inflated and you'll get better gas mileage and your tires will last longer.

Never inflate tires to the maximum pressure!

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Close-up of decal

Recommended tire pressures are printed on the driver's door.

Never assume that the maximum
air pressure shown on the tire's
sidewall is the same as the recommended
tire pressure. Filling to the
maximum pressure always means
you're overinflating your tires. The
recommended tire pressures for
your car are printed on the driver's
door or doorpost decal.

Although overinflated tires may give you slightly higher gas mileage, they can cause much more serious problems than they solve.
Overinflated tires carry the
entire weight of the car on the middle
portion of the tread. On wet
roads, the center tread can't pump
the water out to the sides (think of
a squeegee with a bulge in the center).
So they're more prone to
hydroplaning (like water skiing)
and also more likely to skid in a
stop or in a turn, and blow out on
hard bumps. The bottom line:
Overinflation is foolish and dangerous.
Always follow the inflation
pressures shown on the car, not
the tires.

Diagnosing tire problems

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Bad alignment: Cutaway

This vehicle is out of alignment, and its
tires are rolling on their edges.

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Bad alignment: Frontview

The car
most likely pulled to the side, but the
driver ignored it. Ignoring the problem
was costly. The tires wore out faster,
and the vehicle still needed alignment.
If your tread is worn on one side, get
your vehicle aligned ASAP.

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Underinflated: Cutaway

This is classic underinflation and the
most common tire wear problem.

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Underinflated: Frontview

The center tread puckers toward the rim
because there's not enough pressure to
keep it in contact with the road. So the
full weight of the car rides on the
edges. In addition to premature wear,
low tire pressure causes excessive heat
and possible blowouts. The owner of
these tires never bothered to keep the
tires inflated.

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Overinflated: Cutaway

This tire was overinflated.

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Overinflated: Frontview

The higher
pressure ballooned it into a doughnut
shape. Only the center tread was in
contact with the road. That's why the
center tread wore more than the edges.
This owner was diligent (but mistaken)
about filling the tire to its maximum
inflated pressure. Driving on overinflated
tires is costly—and dangerous.

Fill Tires With Nitrogen—Or Not?

Some dealers now offer to fill tires with nitrogen instead of regular air for an additional charge. Nitrogen
leaks less than compressed atmospheric
air (because nitrogen molecules
are larger than oxygen molecules)
and reduces rubber oxidation.
But that doesn't mean nitrogen
never leaks. The problem is
that once you commit to a nitrogen
fill, you must stick with it for the
life of the tire. The instant you add
compressed air, you negate all the
benefits.

Since you still need to check and
refill your tires, and since nitrogen
is hard to find, you'll be married to
the dealer forever. That's good if
they offer free coffee and doughnuts
while you wait, but bad if
they're not conveniently located.
Even though nitrogen really is
better than regular old air, it's
doubtful you'll ever see enough of
a benefit to justify the
investment. Your tires will probably
wear out from normal driving
long before the important benefits
of nitrogen really kick in. But if
you drive less than 5,000 miles per
year and plan to keep your tires for
10 years (and don't mind hanging
out at the dealer), nitrogen is definitely
worth it. By the way, the
green caps on tire valve stems indicate
the tire is filled with nitrogen.